Off Panel #17: Changing Landscapes with Tana Ford and Sean Murphy

Two artists talk diversity and representation in comics in this week's podcast

By David Harper

October 7, 2015

On this week’s episode of Off Panel, we have a special episode for our dear listeners as the show welcomes two guests for the price of one. Artists Tana Ford and Sean Murphy join the show this week with David acting more as a moderator, and the discussion focuses on the changing landscape in comics for women creators. The trio talk representation for women, LGBT creators and people of color, safe spaces, the importance of allies, cheesecake art, empowering female creators, the value of seeing yourself in fiction, invisible backpacks, whether women in comics panels are a good thing, comic book fandom, the importance of listening, appropriate behavior at cons, why comics are headed in an exciting direction, and more.

It’s a sprawling conversation, and one Off Panel was more than happy to host.

Brenè Brown’s Sweaty Creatives is referenced in the podcast. Want to hear more? Give it a watch here.

You can find Tana on Twitter and Tumblr, and more importantly, you can back her Kickstarter for Duck! Third Time is the Charm, her graphic novel that chronicles the adventures of a pack of lesbian friends through Provincetown, Massachusetts over one Memorial Day weekend. It’s a great project you should most certainly check out.

Sean’s on Twitter and you can find his work in Tokyo Ghost at Image Comics.

Have a question for Off Panel? You can reach David by email and Twitter.

Cover art from “Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E.” by Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen and “Hellboy” by Mike Mignola. Intro music is Yo La Tengo’s “Periodically Double or Triple”, used with their permission (if they remember…I swear it’s true YLT!).